The UVM athletic community has recently celebrated the major achievement of one of their own: Lisa Champagne, Director of Athletic Communications at UVM has recently been honored with the 2013 Irving T. March Award.

The award, to be presented to Champagne in June, is given at an annual workshop, and awarded at both the University and College levels, as well as the Junior college level.

Those presented with the award have exhibited continued excellence in their field of sports information.

First presented in 1966, the award got its name after Irving T. March, the founder and director of the ECAC Service Bureau.

“Lisa is a consummate professional and someone who is a model of success in this profession, ECAC-SIDA President Geoff Hassard said. “She has dedicated herself to forwarding the goals of athletics communications while bringing distinction to herself and her institution.”

This year will complete Champagne’s 17th year working in the field of sports information.

Champagne was previously an Assistant Director in the athletic communications office until her promotion in 2005 which moved her into her current position.

Some of Champagne’s daily work includes overseeing operations of the athletic communications office along with the 18 UVM varsity sports.

Champagne also works as the primary media contact for specific teams such as men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s basketball and the ski teams.

To do so, she brought social media into the athletic communications office and was the first to incorporate the streaming of varsity games onto the Internet.

Before coming to work with the Catamounts, Champagne served two years as the Director of Sports Information at Saint Michael’s College, her alma matter.

Prior to Saint Michael’s, she worked another few years in the sports information offices at both Quinnipiac University and Southern New Hampshire University.

“I was surprised to learn of the award,” Champagne said. “I am honored and humbled to receive this prestigious honor, especially since the award is voted on by my peers in the field. The list of past winners includes many well respected colleagues in athletic communications.”